UK’s Starmer Seeks Xi Meeting at G-20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro
(Bloomberg) -- Prime Minister Keir Starmer is seeking to meet with China’s Xi Jinping at next week’s Group of 20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, in what would be the first face-to-face encounter between British and Chinese leaders in almost seven years.
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Chinese and British officials are in discussions to arrange the bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Nov. 18-19 conference, according to a person familiar with the matter who requested anonymity while discussing plans that haven’t been finalized. The plans are subject to change, and the schedules of the two leaders may not align, they said.
The UK is seeking to revive ties with China after a hiatus in top-level exchanges under the UK’s previous Conservative government. The two sides have clashed in recent years, including a disagreement over security legislation in Hong Kong and allegations of Chinese hacking of British institutions. China was the UK’s sixth-biggest individual trading partner as of March, according to the Office for National Statistics.
China has welcomed a thaw with the UK as it seeks to dial down diplomatic friction with a host of US partners ahead of President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House. Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Beijing’s ties with with the UK “stand at a new starting point,” after a visit by Foreign Secretary David Lammy last month. The last British premier to meet with Xi was Theresa May during an official visit to China in early 2018.
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